Hyde Park Center to have program for senior drivers

Most older drivers can expect to outlive their driving ability by about seven to 10 years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

One of the biggest issues for seniors is to decide when to give up driving. Each year, more than one million Americans age 70 or older stop driving and become dependent on others to meet their transportation needs.

To help with this difficult transition, Deaconess Hospital offers an individualized self-assessment program called Beyond Driving with Dignity. Certified director Nancy Schuster will present information about the program on June 20 at 6:30 pm at Hyde Park Center for Older Adults, 2800 Erie Avenue.

Beyond Driving with Dignity provides strategies for older drivers to continue driving safely as well as information about alternative sources of transportation that can help retiring drivers move smoothly into the "Beyond Driving" passenger seat, if the time has come to stop driving.

Family members and drivers are welcome to attend the presentation on June 20.

If one cannot attend and would like more information, contact Nancy Schuster at 559-2826, or read about the program at www.deaconess-healthcare.com.

Hyde Park Center for Older Adults, the host for the "Beyond Driving with Dignity" presentation, offers transportation for adults age 55 and older living in seven eastside communities.

For more information, call Hyde Park Center at 321-6816 or visit www.hpcenter.org.

Located at the corner of Erie and Shaw, a block east of Hyde Park Square, Hyde Park Center also provides lunch, social work assistance and wellness activities, offering a comprehensive path for older adults to remain healthy, active and safe at home as long as possible.

Adult children would rather talk to parents about their funeral plans than about their driving, according to a national survey conducted by the National Safety Council. The survey shows a clear desire among baby boomers for more resources and information to help with issues surrounding their aging parents' driving safety.

Many feel there should be restrictions on their parents' driving, but they aren't comfortable having that difficult conversation. More than half of the survey respondents said there is inadequate public transportation to meet their parents' needs.

No standard test can determine whether a person with cognitive impairment can drive safely, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, which reports that 4 percent of current drivers over the age of 75 years old have dementia.

Many people with mild cognitive impairment will not experience any further decline and will continue to be skilled, safe drivers.

Others have progressive decline in memory and other cognitive functions. Some medications can also affect the ability to drive.

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Hyde Park Center to have program for senior drivers

Most older drivers can expect to outlive their driving ability by about seven to 10 years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.